Package handling mechanism



Aug. 1, 1961 B. A. ARVIDSON PACKAGE HANDLING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17, 1958 ll llllllllllll [I INVENTOR. fiengi 0x QTZ/L'dfiam BY KM, 2 7 6M; 017M147 Aug. 1, 1961 B. A. ARVIDSON PACKAGE HANDLING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1958 INVENTOR. ,Be i @Qrz/idso Aug. 1, 1961 B. A. ARVIDSON 2,994,171

PACKAGE HANDLING MECHANISM Filed June 17, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

2,994,171 PACKAGE HANDLING MECHANISM Bengt A. Arvidson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Miller Wrapping 8: Sealing Machine (30., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 17, 1958, Ser. No. 742,559 8 Claims. (Cl. 53-245) This invention relates to package handling mechanism and more particularly to a package handling mechanism for a wrapping machine in which semi-automatic mechanism is provided for discharging a filled package receiving container and for distributing packages into the container as they are discharged from the wrapping machine.

An object of this invention is to provide new and improved package handling mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide package handling mechanism in which a package receiving station is located at the discharge end of a wrapping machine and movable means are provided at the station for supporting a package collecting container with means for distributing packages over the area of the container as they leave the wrapping machine and enter the container and means for moving the movable container supporting means to transfer the container from the container supporting means onto an auxiliary support, such as a transfer conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide package handling mechanism for a wrapping machine in which means are provided adjacent the discharge end of the machine for distributing packages over the area of a package collecting container wherein said means includes finger members overlying the container area and generally level with the surface of the Wrapping machine and which have a plurality of lateral positions transversely of the container whereby packages may drop off from the finger members into a desired area of the container and manually operable means for adjusting the lateral position of said fingers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide package handling mechanism comprising a frame adapted for connection with a wrapping machine adjacent the package discharge end thereof, a package receiving container platform rnovably mounted on the top of a movable support for straight-line movement upwardly and for pivoting movement to an inclined position, means for moving said platform upwardly in said straight-line movement and means automatically operable in response to completion of said straight-line movement for moving said platform to its inclined position whereby a container may discharge therefrom onto an auxiliary support such as a transfer conveyor.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side view in elevation of a wrapping machine and the package handling mechanism associated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is an end view in elevation of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1 with the top panel of the wrapping machine removed to reveal the drive mechanism therebeneath;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the container lifting mechanism in raised position and with details omitted; and,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side view in elevation looking toward the right-hand side of FIGURE 2.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will therein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclofifiijfi Patented Aug. 1, 1961 sure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The container lifting and discharge mechanism, indicated generally at A, is located at the discharge end of a wrapping machine, indicated generally at B. The package distribution mechanism is indicated generally at C. As an example, although not limited thereto, reference may be had to applicants copending application, S .N. 642,526, filed February 26, 1957, for a more complete disclosure of a wrapping machine in which trays or simi lar objects carrying a product such as a meat are wrapped with a sealable wrapping material.

Generally, in operation of the disclosed structure wrapped packages will discharge successively from the wrapping machine B and will be advanced by conveyor mechanism (not shown) onto the package distributing mechanism C and the packages will singly fall one afiter the other into a container indicated generally at 10' which rests on the top of the container lifting and discharging mechanism A. When the container has the desired number of packages contained therein, the lifting and discharging mechanism A will then be raised to the level of an auxiliary support such as a transfer conveyor indicated generally at 11 and due to the inclined position of the container lifting and discharging mechanism A, the container will then automatically move off onto the auxiliary support 11.

The wrapping machine B includes frame members 15, 16, and 17 at both sides of the machine which support the Wrapping mechanism for producing a wrapped package.

The container lifting and discharging mechanism A includes a main frame fixed to the wrapping machine B including the vertical frame bars 20 and 21 at opposite sides of the machine and a horizontal connecting frame bar 22. The vertical frame bars 20 and 21 are connected to the frame members 16 of the wrapping machine B by threaded connectors 23.

A platform support is mounted on the main frame of the container lifting and discharging mechanism B and includes an upper horizontal frame including side members and 31 and lateral connecting members 32 and 33 to form the four members into a rigid frame.

A pair of legs 35 and 36 extend downwardly from the support frame and are connected at their upper ends to the support frame side members 30 and 31. The legs 35 and 36 are of an L-shaped cross section and have the flanges 37 and 38, respectively, each carrying upper and lower guide blocks 40 and 41 which are slidably mounted on a pair of guide rods 42 and 43 extending between the lower main frame member 22 and the upper end of the main frame of the container handling and discharge mechanim B.

The platform support frame may move between a lower position as determined by a pair of adjustable stops 44 and 45 carried on the lower transverse main frame member 22 and an upper position as determined by stops 46 and 47. The lower stops 44 and the lower end of the frame legs 37 and 38 while the upper stops 4'6 and 47 abut against the upper edge of the guide blocks 40.

Means for moving the platform supporting frame up and down includes a motor 50 supported upon the wrapping machine frame members 15 which through belt and pulley mechanism, indicated generally at 51, drives a gear reducer 52. The output sprocket 53 of the gear reducer drives a chain 54 which drives a sprocket 55 on a clutch input shaft 56. The shaft 56 drives a driving clutch member 57 and a selectively driven clutch member 58 is connected to a sleeve 59 'havinga sprocket 60 '45 abut against connected by a chain 61 to a sprocket 62 on a gear shaft 63 extended between the main frame members 20 and 21.

The engagement between clutch members 57 and 58 is controlled by a handle 65 which is mounted on a rotatable'shaft 66 extending transversely of the wrapping machine B. The shaft 66 carries a cam member 67 which engages a co-acting cam member '68 carried on a pivoted lever 69 which is pivoted, as indicated at 70, intermediate its ends and which has its other end mounted in a sleeve 70 rotatable on the shaft 56 and engageable with the sleeve 59. Upon pivoting of the handle 65, the clutch members 57 and 58 will he brought into driving engagement with the result that gear shaft 63 is rotated.

The gear shaft 63 carries a pair of laterally spaced gears 75 and 76 which mesh with a pair of vertical racks 77 and 78, respectively, which are carried on the platform support frame legs 35 and 36.

The rotation of the gear shaft 63 will carry the platform support frame upwardly until one of the guide blocks 40 moves into caught relation with a pivoted stop member 80 having a detent 81 which en ages under the guide block 40. The movement upwardly of the platform supporting frame is actually limited by the stops 46 and 4-7 and the frame is maintained in its upward position by the stop 80 after release of the handle 65. The stop member 80 is pivoted on a pin 82.

In order to return the platform supporting frame to its lower position. the stop 80 is manually shifted to free the guide block 40 and the frame then descends under the control of an air dash pot mechanism including a cvlinler 85 and a cylinder piston rod 86 which is connected to the frame as indicated at 87.

The platform support frame supports on its top a container receivin platform including a rectangular open frame having side members 90. 91, 92, and 93. A series of rods 95 extend between the side members 91 and 93 and each mount a series of freelv rotatable rollers 97 on which the container rests. The platform support frame carries a pair of bearing blocks 98 and 99 which rotatablv support a shaft 100. A pair of blocks 101 and 102 are secured to the side members 91 and 93 of the platform. respectively, and are also fastened to the shaft 100. The mounting of the platform to the shaft 100 permits pivoting thereof about the shaft axis to an inclined position in which the container may freelv move off the platform while supported on the rollers 97.

The tilting of the platform is automatically effected as the platform nears its upper position by means of a linkage including an adjustable rod 105 which is pivotally mounted at one end as indicated at 106 to the main frame member 20 and which, at its other end, is pivotally connected at 107 to an arm 108 extending upwardly and terminating in a sleeve 109 rotatable on the shaft 108. The sleeve 109 has an abutment 110 which coacts with an abutment 111 on a collar 112 fastened to the shaft 100. The abutments 110 and M1 provide a lost motion connection and are out of engagement when the platform is in a horizontal position.

In operation, when the container has received the desired number of packages. the handle 65 will be grasped manually by an operator. and moved to pivot the shaft 66 to brin the clutch members 57 and 58 into engagement. This will drive the gear shaft 63 and through the gears 75 and 76, the racks 77 and 78 will be raised upwardly to carry therewith the platform support frame and the container supporting platform. The raising movement will continue so long as the handle 65 is in its moved position and until the guide blocks 40 engage the stops 46 and 47. At this time, the handle 65 may be released and the platform will be maintained in its upper position by the stop member 80 with the detent 81 in engagement with the underside of the lefthand guide block 40 as viewed in FIGURE 4. During the final upward movement of the platform. the linkage system for tilting the platform will move to the position shown in FIGURE 4 whereby the coacting abutments 110 and 111 engage, and collar 112 and shaft rotate which results in pivoting of the platform about the axis of the shaft 100 to an inclined position. As shown in FIGURE 4, the container 10 may then easily roll off the platform as facilitated by the rollers 97 onto the transfer conveyor 11. In order to return the platform to its lower position so that another container 10 may be placed thereon to receive packages, the stop 80 is manually moved by hand to release the detent 81 and the platform and movable frame will then descend by gravity as controlled by the air dash pot 85. During the initial descent, the linkage system including the link will reverse its movement so as to have the platform returned to its normal horizontal position.

The horizontal down position of the container supporting platform is determined by a pair of threaded stop members 113 extending up from the upper side of the platform support frame which engage a pair of plates 114 fixed to the underside of the platform and located to rest on top of the threaded members 1-13.

As clearly seen in FIG. 2, the handle shaft 66 extends transversely the width of the machine so that the handle '65 may be associated with either end of the shaft to permit operation of the mechanism from either side thereof.

There are also other adjustments to facilitate use of this mechanism with different height containers, and also to provide for different discharge heights for the containers. The adjustments for different height containers includes adjustment of the stop members 44 and 45 determining the lower position of the platform support frame and platform as well as an adjustment for the package distributing mechanism C described hereinafter. In order to vary the discharge height of the container from the platform, the vertical location of the stop member 80 may be adjusted by adjustment of its mounting frame and an adjustment of the platform tilting mechanism by varying the length of the adjustable link 105.

The container handling mechanismv B is a unitary structure supported on the main frame members 20, 21, and 22 whereby it may easily be attached to the discharge end of a wrapping machine.

In order to aid in locating a container on the platform, a side stop 121 extends from a side of the movable frame and an end stop 122 is disposed at another side of the platform. The stop 122 is carried by a pair of legs 123 and 124 which are adjustably fastened to the platform support frame member 33 and to a plate 124 extending between the platform support frame legs 35 and 36.

The package distributing mechanism for distributing the location of packages in the container 10 includes finger members comprising a pair of fingers and 131 extending over the top of the container 10, as shown in FIGURE 1. The finger members are interconnected by a top plate 132 fastened thereto by screws 133 and are pivotally mounted on a transversely extending shaft 134 which is carried between a pair of L-shaped mounting arms 135 and 136. The arms 135 and 136 at their lower free ends are fastened to a sleeve 137 which is fixed to a slidable shaft 66a and is free to slide with the shaft endwise in extended bearings at each side of the machine frame. This assembly is urged horizontally and to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 2, by a spring 138 connected to the frame of the wrapping machine B at one end and at its other end connected to a pin 139 fastened to the sleeve 137. In order to position the fingers 130 and 131 in a desired position, means are provided for locating the fingers in one of three different transverse positions including a cable 140 connected to a pin 141 fastened to the sleeve 137 which extends around a direction-changing pulley 142 and connects to a handle and rod 143 movably mounted on the wrapping machine B and having spaced notches 144 which co-act with an apertured bracket 145 through which the handle and rod 143 slide. The location of the rod in one of the positions as determined by one of the three notches 144 will result in a corresponding position of the finger members 130 and 131. With this structure, it is possible to distribute the packages throughout the area of the container so that there will be a leveling out efiect and not a tendency for the packages to pile up in one particular area.

The fingers 130 and 131 overlie the container and therefore the container locating abutment 122 functions to engage the underside of the fingers to pivot the fingers upwardly as the platform and the container supported thereby move upwardly to move the fingers out of the path of container travel. The top of the stop member 122 forms a support for the fingers 130 and 131 so as to hold them in a generally horizontal position and adjustment of the stop plate 122 up and down results in a different discharge height for the fingers as may be necessary with different heights of containers for the packages.

As shown in the drawings, the platform is arranged to discharge toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 2. However, the discharge direction for a container may be easily changed by removal and relocation of the bearing members 98 and 99 which mount the platform to the platform support frame and relocation of the connection of the linkage including the link 105. With this easy rearrangement, the machine may be modified so as to have containers discharged from the platform toward the right as viewed in FIGURE 3 or to the left as viewed in FIG- URE 2.

I claim:

1. A handling mechanism for packages discharged from a wrapping machine, comprising: a package receiving station adjacent the discharge end of a wrapping machine, movable means at the station for supporting a package collecting container, and movable to an elevated inclined container discharging position, means overlying the container supporting means for distributing packages over the area of the container as they enter the container, and means for elevating said movable container supporting means and tilting said supporting means to transfer the container from said container supporting means.

2. In a package handling mechanism, comprising: a frame, a platform support movably mounted on the frame for up and down movement, means on said support adapted to support a package receiving container and mounted on said support for movement relative to said support to discharge a container, manually operable means for moving the support upwardly relative to the frame, manually releasable means for holding the support in its uppermost position, and means responsive to raising of the support for moving said container discharging means to discharge a container therefrom.

3. In a package handling mechanism, comprising: a frame adapted for attachment to the discharge end of a wrapping machine, a platform support movably mounted on the frame for up and down movement, a platform mounted on said support for movement between a container supporting position and a tilted container discharging position, a plurality of container engaging rollers on the platform facilitating discharge of the containers when the platform is tilted, adjustable means on the frame engageable with the support for limiting up and down movement thereof to adjust for different height containers and the desired height for container discharge, means for moving the support relative to the frame, including a drive train on the frame and selectively connectable to the support through a clutch, and a manually operable member for engaging the clutch, and means responsive to raising of the support to container discharge height for moving said platform to its tilted position whereby a container may move off the platform.

4. In a package handling mechanism for a wrapping machine, comprising: a frame adapted for connection with a wrapping machine adjacent the package discharge end thereof, a platform support movable on the frame for 5 downward and upward movement, a container supporting platform mounted on the top of the support for movement therewith and for pivoting movement to an inclined position relative to the support, means for moving said support and platform upwardly, and means automatically operable immediately prior to the end of said upward movement for moving said platform to its inclined position whereby a container may discharge therefrom.

5. A package handling mechanism, comprising: a frame having a pair of generally upright spaced apart guide members, a platform support movably mounted on said guide members for movement between a lower container supporting position and an upper container discharging position, a platform shaft pivotally mounted on said support, a platform including container supporting rollers mounted on said platform shaft for pivotal movement between container supporting and discharging positions, means for moving the support relative to the frame including a selectively engageable clutch and a gear shaft on said frame driven by said clutch, a pair of racks on said support movable by gears on said gear shaft, and a clutch operating handle, a pivoted stop member engageable with the support to hold said support in an upper position and manually releasable to permit descent of the support, a linkage including a lost motion connection operatively connected to said shaft and to said frame whereby raising of the support and platform will cause the linkage to tilt the platform to container discharging position, and means for controlling the descent of said support and platform when the stop is released.

6. In a package handling mechanism, comprising: a platform support mounted for upward and downward movement including a platform shaft movably mounted thereon, a platform including container supporting members mounted on said platform shaft for movement between container supporting and discharging positions, means for moving the support up and down, a. stop member engageable with the support to hold said support in an upper position and manually releasable to permit descent of the support, and a linkage including a lost motion connection operatively connected to said shaft whereby raising of the support and platform will cause the linkage to move the platform to container discharging position.

7. In a package handling mechanism, comprising: a frame, a container supporting mechanism for holding a container in package receiving position, means fixed on said frame for distributing packages into a container located on said supporting mechanism including, a platform adapted to extend over a container and mounted for movement transversely of said container supporting mechanism and terminating over the container area to discharge a package traveling therea-long into a container, and manually operable means for lateral-1y adjusting said platform transversely of said container supporting mechanism including a manually operable member having a plurality of positions and a motion transmitting connection between said member and platform.

8. In a package handling mechanism, comprising: a container supporting mechanism for holding a container in package receiving position and for subsequently raising the container to a discharge position, means for distributing packages into a container located on said supporting mechanism including, a finger support mounted for movement transversely of said container supporting mechanism, a pair of spaced apart fingers for supporting a package until pushed therefrom mounted on said support for upward and downward movement, means for laterally adjusting said fingers transversely of said supporting mechanism including a handle connected to the finger support and having a plurality of positions, and means on the container supporting mechanism for engaging and moving the fingers upwardly out of the way as said mechanism raises a container.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wieda. 4 Aug. 23, 1904 Hoyt July 9, 1907 5 Marcy Apr. 15, 1919 8 Olson Apr. 18, 1933 Funk 1 June 30, 1936 Walker Oct. 13, 1936 Vergobbi Sept. 30, 1947 Weaver et a1. Oct. 9 1951 Stuart May 13, 1958 

